Apparatus for pressing the bottom heel region of a lasted upper



, Filed June 8, 1959 April 4, 1961 T. DELL 2,977,610

APPARATUS FOR PRESSING THE BOTTOM HEEL REGION OF A LASTED UPPER 2SheetsSheet 1 FIG. 5. H A, $7

a I I 4y IN V EN TOR.

m s DELL April 4, 1961 T. DELL 2,977,610

APPARATUS FOR PRESSING THE BOTTOM HEEL REGION OF A LASTED UPPER FiledJune 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QTTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR PRESSINGTHE'BOTTOM HEEL REGION OF A LASTED UPPER Thomas Dell, Brooklyn,

Palizzio, Inc., York N.Y., assignor of fifty percent to New York,.N-Y.,a corporation of New Filed June 8, 1959, Ser. No. 818,663

6 Claims. .(Cl. 12-535) This invention relates generally to shoemanufacturing equipment, and is especially concerned with apparatus forpressing the nether heel region of a lasted shoe i tween the heel andupper. This pressing operation has heretofore been one requiringconsiderable effort and manual skill, and consequently'resulting in anexcessive percentage of rejects.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provideapparatus for pressing the nether heel region of a lasted shoe upperwhich eliminates the need for skilled labor, minimizes the operatorseffort, and which produces a consistently supperior pressing operation,to substantially eliminate rejects.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus ofthe type described wherein it is merely necessary for an operator toload a lasted shoe upper and push the latter to a pressing station,where the pressing operation is automatically performed and the pressedarticle is returned to the loading station for unloading by theoperator. Thus, the instant invention is admirably well suited forautomatic loading and unloading, so as to be completely automaticwithout the need for skilled operating personnel.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatushaving the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the precedingparagraphs, which is extremely simple in structure, entirely reliable inoperation, and which is durable and economical in use. ,In particular,the apparatus of the instant invention is capable of being manufactured,installed and operated relatively inexpensively, and to effectconsiderable savings in labor and the reduction or elimination ofrejects. Other objects of the present invention will become apparentupon reading the following specification and referring to theaccompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope willbe indicated by'the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevationalsview showing apparatus of the presentinvention with a lasted shoe upper in the loading position;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevational view but illustrating the pressingoperation; 'Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, but with the lasted shoe upper removed andillustrated in phantom in both its loading andpressing position:

similar to Fig. l,

S vFig. 4: is' apartial front elevational view, taken in the V 27 andthe rear upstanding wall 22,

2,977,610 Pi atented Apr, 4, 1961 direction of the arrow 4 in Figure 1,and partly broken away for clarity of understanding; and

Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of electrical and fluid circuitryassociated with the instant apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically toFig. 1 thereof, a base or platform is there designated 10, and a post orstandard 11 is fixedly secured to the base and extends upward therefromspaced from the front end of the base '(the right hand end as seen inFig. l).' Carrier means, generally designated 13, is mounted on theupper side of the base 10, at the front region thereof, for carrying alasted shoe upper,- generally designated 14 between loading and pressingstations. Carried by the post 11, spaced above the base 10 and over thecarrier 13 is, pressing means, generally designated 15.

The carrier means 13 includes a generally forwardly and rearwardlyextending bed plate or guide 17 disposed horizontally on the uppersurface of the base and fixedly secured thereto, as by fasteners 18 (seeFig. 3) with its forward end projecting forward beyond the base. The bedplate or guide 17 is formed in its upper side with a longitudinallyextending, upwardly facing slot or groove 19 which'opens forwardlythrough the forward end of the bed plate and opens rearwardly into alaterally extending, open ended groove 20. The groove 19 provides alongitudinal guide or slide way, and may be defined between a pair ofgenerally forwardly and rearwardly extending, parallelspaced bars2lsecured to the upper surface of the bed plate 17. At the rearward endof the bed plate 17 is provided an upstanding, laterally extending endwall 22 which combines with the rearward ends of theplates 21 to definethe laterally extending groove 20. A stop member or abutment plate 23may be fixed to the forward end of the bed plate 17, as by fasteners 24,and is arranged to extend laterally across the forward end of the slot19 and vertically upward beyond the upper sides of the bars21.

The carrier means 13 further includes a slide or car-I rier proper 27slidably located in the guideway or slot 19 for reciprocatory movementtherealong, and extending vertically above the upper surfaces of theside bars 21. As seen in Fig. 3, it will be noted thatthe facing sidesof, the bars 21 are undercut, as at 28, while the slide or carrierproper 27 is provided with flanges 29 engageable in the undercuts 28.Thus the slide 27 is freely slidable in the slot 19 without beingremovable therefrom. Of course, the slide 27 may be removed, if desired,by prior removal of the abutment plate 23.

An upstanding retaining pin or lug 30 is provided on the upper surfaceof the slide 27 for removably retaining a lasted shoe upper in positionon the slide. That is,--the last 31, see Fig. 1, is conventionallyprovided with a hole or bore 32 extending downward of inward through itsupper surface in the rearward region of the last. With the lastinverted, the pin 30 is freely engageable in the hole 32 when the lastis seated on the upper surface of the slide 27 to retain the last inposition on the slide. While observing the lasted shoe upper 14, it willbe noted that the upper proper is designated 33 and has its nether heelportion 34 turned over to the underside of the last 31,and there securedin position in the conventional manner. Of course, as the last 31 isinverted, the underside 34 of the upper heel portion is uppermost in thedrawings.

Resilient means, say in the form of a coiled compression spring 37 isinterposed between the rearward end of slide having its opposite endsrespectively secured thereto, to resiliently urge the slidetoward itsforward or loading station, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. Thus, the slide 27is resiliently urged for ward, and is necessarily manually or otherwiseshifted rearward against the force of resilient means 37. bviously, uponrelease of the slide 27 from its rearward position or pressing station,that illustrated in Fig. 2, the spring 37 forcibly shifts the slideforward into abutting engagement with the abutment or stop member 23.Sharp impact of the slide moving forwardly against the abutment member23 is likely to cause inertial movement or jumping of the lasted shoeupper 14 from its receiving engagement with the pin 30. Hence, means areprovided in the form of a resilient leaf spring or retarder 38 to moregradually retard forward movement of the slide 27. The leaf spring 38may be anchored to one bar 21, as by a fastener 39, and extend therefromover the slot 19 in the forward region thereof into the path of forwardmovement of the slide 27. The slide 27, in its forward movement, engageswith the retarding element 38 to deflect the latter to the conditionillustrated in Fig. 3, and is frictionally engaged by the latter so thatits forward motion is smoothly retarded.

Fixed to the bed plate 17 at the rearward region thereof, as by abracket 41 is a limit switch 42 having a defiectable arm 43 extendinginto position over the bed plate 17 rearward of the slot 19. The arm 43may have its free end resiliently defiectable in a horizontal direction,and is engageable with a button 44 to operate the switch 42. A headedprojection 45 extends rearward from the rear end of the slide 27, beingcarried by the latter, and is engageable upon rearward movement of theslide with the switch arm 43 to operate the switch 42. Stated otherwise,the switch 42 is operated by engagement of the headed member 45 with theswitch arm 43 upon movement of the slide 27 to the pressing station. Ifdesired, the headed member 45 may be adjustable to project rearwardbeyond the slide 27 a desired distance, say by a threaded connection ofthe latter.

Carried by the post 11 for engagement with the lasted shoe upper 14 tolimit movement of the latter into its pressing station is stop means,generally designated 48, which includes an annulus or collar 49 slidablycircumposed about the post 11 for adjustment relative thereto andadapted to be fixed in any desired position by a set screw 50. Extendingradially outward from the collar 49 is a shank 51, from which extend apair of outwardly divergent arms 52, the arms being preferably coveredwith suitably resiliently yieldable material, such as foam rubher or thelike. The shank 51 may be adjustable relative to the collar 49 radiallyinward and outward thereof; and, the stop means 48 is normallypositioned with the shank 51 extending forwardly, and the arms 52extending forwardly and diverging from each other in position to receivetherebetween the heel region of the lasted shoe upper to limit rearwardmovement of the latter to the pressing station.

The pressing means 15 is constituted of a generally vertically disposedcylinder 55 fixedly secured to a sleeve 56 slidably circumposed aboutthe post 11 and provided with set screws 57 for adjustably fixing thesleeve and cylinder at a desired elevation directly over the pressingstation. interiorly of the cylinder is provided a piston 58, see Fig.and, fluid conduit means 59 is connected to the cylinder forcommunication with a source of fluid under pressure. Spring means 60 maybe provided interiorly of the cylinder 55, for urging the piston upward.A plunger or rod 61 depends vertically from the piston 58 through thelower end of the cylinder 55 for vertical reciprocation with the piston.On the lower, external end of the plunger 61 is carried a pressing head,generally designated 62, which performs the pressing operation on theshoe upper region 34.

The pressing head 62 includes a mounting member or block 63 fixed to thelower end of the plunger or rod 61 for vertical movement therewithtoward and away from the pressing station of the slide 27. A guide plate64 may be adjustably fixed to the post 11, extending generallyhorizontally forward therefrom, and provided with a through opening 65slidably receiving and guiding vertical movement of the mounting block63. This is best seen in Fig.

4. It will also be there observed that the mounting block 63 is providedon its underside with a downwardly facing recess or bore 66 insubstantial alignment with the plunger 61, and an additional, smallerdownwardly facing recess or hole 67 spaced from the bore 66.

A generally flat pressing plate 70 is located in spaced relation belowthe mounting block 63 and provided on its upper surface with arearwardly facing channel member or carrier 71. That is, the carrier 71is generally an openended rearwardly facing channel with the pressingplate 70 fixedly secured to the underside of the channel. A relativelyheavy or stiff coil spring 73 is disposed generally vertically withinthe recess 66 of the mounting block 63, having its supper end secured byany suitable means to the mounting block, and depends below the lowersurface of the mounting block to have its lower end connected by afastener 76 to the upper region of the carrier. Thus, the pressing plate70 and its carrier 71 are mounted for vertical movement relative to themounting plate 63 and slight angular tilting or canting relative to themounting block by means of the spring 73. To limit this movement of thepressing plate 70 and its carrier 71 relative to the mounting block 63,a pin or lug 74 projects upward from the upper side of the carrier intospaced inter-engagement within the downwardly opening mounting blockhole 67.

If desired, a heating assembly 75 may be secured within thechannel-shaped carrier 71, the heating assembly including a heatingelement 75a extending substantially through the carrier to transmit heatto the presser plate 70. The heating assembly 75 may be electricallyenergized, as through conductors 77.

In Fig. 5 is shown in schematic representation wherein an electricallyoperated valve 78, say a solenoid valve, is interposed within the fluidconduit means 59 between the fluid pressure source and cylinder 55. Anelectric circuit, including a timer 79 is connected by conductors 80 tothe valve 78, and a supply line 81 to a source of electrical supply. Theswitch 42 is connected by conductors 43 to the timer 79.

In operation, an operator places a lasted shoe upper 14 in invertedcondition on the slide 27 at its loading position, the condition ofFig. 1. The lasted shoe upper 14 is pushed rearward into limitingengagement with the stop arms 52 at the pressing station. In thiscondition, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the coil spring 37 is compressed,and the switch arm 43 swung rearward to close the switch 42 whichoperates the valve 78 for a predetermined time interval, as controlledby the timer 79. Operation of the valve 78 initially admits fluid underpressure to the cylinder 55 to shift the piston 58, and the pressinghead 62 downward into pressing engagement with the nether heel portion34, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The pressing plate 70 will conformablyengage with the lasted shoe upper, and simultaneously press and heat thelatter to accomplish the desired permanently pressed condition. At theelapse of the predetermined time interval, fluid will be released fromthe cylinder 55, permitting the spring 60 to return the piston 58 upwardand lift the pressing head from its pressing engagement with the lastedshoe upper. This releases the spring biased slide 27 for forwardmovement under the force of spring 37 to its loading position, as inFig. 3, for removal and replacement of the last shoe upper. It will nowbe appreciated that operation of the pressing means 15 is actuated byclosing of the switch 42 which energizes the electrical circuit of thevalve 78 to operate the pressing means.

From the foregoing, it is seen that a device for pressing the bottomheel region of a lasted shoe upper is provided which fully accomplishesits intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions ofmanufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by wayof illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, itis understood that certain changes and modifications may be made withinthe spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. j

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for pressing the bottom heel region of a lasted shoe upper,said apparatus comprising a carrier for the lasted shoe upper mountedfor reciprocatory movement between a loading station and a pressingstation, pressing means movable toward and away from said pressingstation into and out of pressing engagement with a lasted shoe upper atsaid pressing station, and actuating means responsive to movement ofsaid carrier to said pressing station for actuating said pressing means,said pressing means comprising a mounting membermovable toward and awayfrom said pressing station, a pressing member interpoed between saidmounting member and engagement with the lasted shoe upper.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, said mounting means includes a stiffcoil spring having its opposite ends fixedly secured to said mountingmember and said pressing member respectively, and rigid guide means onsaid mounting and pressing members in loosely interfitting relation witheach other to constrain said pressing membar to movement relative tosaid mounting member generally toward and away from the latter and tolimited angular movement relative to said mounting member.

s 3. Apparatus for pressing the bottom heel region of a lasted shoeupper, said apparatus comprising a carrier for the lasted shoe uppermounted for reciprocatory movement between a loading station and apressing station, pressing means movable toward and away from saidpressing station into and out of engagement with a lasted shoe upper atsaid pressing station, and actuating means responsive to movement ofsaid carrier to said pressing station for actuating said pressing means,said pressing means comprising a pressing head, fluid operated meansmounting said pressing head for movement toward and away from saidpressing station and adapted for connecfor the lasted shoe upper mountedfor reciprocatory movement between a loading station and a pressingstation, pressing means movable toward and away from said pressingstation into and out of pressing engagement with a lasted shoe upper atsaid pressing station, actuating means responsive to movement of saidcarrier to said pressing station for actuating said pressing means, saidcarrier comprising a slide mounted for generally horizontalreciprocation between said loading and pressing stations, resilientmeans urging said slide toward said loading station, stop meansengageable with said slide to limit movement of the latter to saidloading station, an upstanding pin on said slide removably engageable ina lasted shoe upper supported on the upper side of said slide to retainthe lasted shoe upper in position on said slide, and retarding meansengageable with said slide to retard its movement toward said loadingstation.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, said retarding means comprising aleaf spring extending into a path of slide movement as it approachessaid loading station for frictional retarding engagement with saidslide.

6. Apparatus for pressing the bottom heel region of a lasted shoe upper,said apparatus comprising a base, a carrier mounted on said base forgenerally horizontal reciprocatory movement between a loading stationand a pressing station and adapted to carry an inverted lasted shoeupper, a pressing head mounted over said pressing station for generallyvertical movement into and out of pressing engagement with a lasted shoeupper at said pressing station, and actuating means responsive tomovement of said carrier to said pressing station for actuating saidpressing head, said pressing head comprising a mounting member movablevertically toward and away from said pressing station, a pressing memberinterposed between said mounting member and said pressing station, astiff coil spring interposed between and having its opposite ends fixedto said mounting member and pressing member to connect the latter tosaid mounting member for resiliently yieldable universal movementrelative thereto, and a rigid pin on one of said mounting and pressingmembers projecting loosely into the other of said mounting and pressingmembers for limiting movement of said pressing member relative to saidmounting member.

. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSRockwell Jan. 6, 1959

